Category Archives: Mary

Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows

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I said in this post that I’d write on devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows. 

The devotion to the sorrows of Our Lady dates at least from the Middle Ages, if not all the way back to the Early Church. This is likely, given that Mary was around for a few decades after Christ Ascended and taught the apostles and disciples and others much of Jesus’ life and teachings. (From where else did we get information on the Annunciation, Nativity and other details of His life?) The recipients of Our Lady’s teachings must have learned about her sorrows over the crucifixion of her Son, and in sympathy must have kept this in memory and passed it on to future Christians.

In recent years, it has seen an increase due to the approved apparition of Our Lady in Kibeho, Rwanda. During that apparition, Our Lady told the seers to pray the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows. You can read more about that here.

Tan Books offers a nice little devotional booklet on “Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother.” That introduced me to the devotion twenty years ago. EWTN Religious Catalogue offers the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, (which I say almost every day) as well as the excellent (and in my opinion, the BEST book on Mary after the Mystical City of God, the Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonse’s Liguori. 

The Glories of Mary is five complete books in one volume. The first book examines the words of the Salve Regina and shows how God has given Mary to mankind to be the Gate of Heaven. The second book explains Our Lady’s principal feasts and reveals fresh truths about these mysteries. The third book explains the Seven Sorrows of Mary and why Our Lady’s martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all other martyrs. The fourth book describes ten different virtues of Our Lady, and the fifth book provides dozens of famous prayers, meditations, and devotions to her.

Included are the theological proofs for the Immaculate Conception, explanations of the invocations in the Litany of Loreto, and a description of Our Lady’s death. The Glories of Mary is the greatest compendium of nearly eighteen centuries of teaching on Our Lady and seeks to lead many souls to a greater love of Jesus through a more intimate knowledge of Mary and her exalted role in our salvation.

Source: Tan Books 

Developing a devotion to Our Lady’s Sorrows comforts her. Yes, she is now in Heaven and doesn’t experience sorrow or pain as we know it. But she still recalls her Son’s sufferings and she observes our sufferings here in the vale of tears, our exile. So, in some way unique to Heaven, she still ‘is sorrowful,’ I suppose. Empathizing with her sorrows whilst she was still on Earth only endears you ever more to her Son, if you get my drift. 

This post included links to online shops where you can buy stuff, but I do not make any money from those sales. (If you wish to donate to me, you can PayPal me – my real name is on that link. Or buy a lot of my books, linked in the s paragraph below this! Either way, I appreciate it! Thank you!)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Our Lady of Sorrows

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September 15th is the the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It honors the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which are:

First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon

Our Lady and St. Joseph took the child Jesus as was customary under Mosaic Law after her 40 days of purification were over. They were to offer their first born to God, as was also in accordance with the Law. They really did not need to do this, given Our Lady’s perpetual virginity as was as that Jesus is God; nevertheless they did so out of Holy Obedience. This is an interesting lesson for today’s Christians who feel they can flout religious observance, dogmas, and doctrines.

While there, Simeon, a holy man and prophet was was foretold by the Holy Spirit that he will not die until he saw the Messiah, for witness that Jesus was this Messiah. 

Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them, and he said to his mother Mary: “Behold, this one has been set for the ruin and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and as a sign which will be contradicted. And a sword will pass through your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 

Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt

Joseph is warned in a dream that Jesus’ life is in danger from Herod, who is intent on killing all males under the age of two based upon the testimony of the Magi from the East who were seeking the Messiah of the Jews. Threatened by this, he orders the murder of children in the area the holy Family is residing. Herod is an example of politicians and other elites who champion the cause of the pro-choice movement, i.e. the murder of unborn children through abortion. In many states of the USA this now includes ‘partial birth abortion’ and even the abortion of delivered babies. There’s a word for this: infanticide.

Matthew 2:13-18 And after they had gone away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And remain there until I tell you. For it will happen that Herod will seek the boy to destroy him.”
And getting up, he took the boy and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.
And he remained there, until the death of Herod, in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.”
Then Herod, seeing that he had been fooled by the Magi, was very angry. And so he sent to kill all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had learned by questioning the Magi.
 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying:
“A voice has been heard in Ramah, great weeping and wailing: Rachel crying for her sons. And she was not willing to be consoled, because they were no more.”

Another lesson from thins the plight of refugees and migrants. Today there are tens of millions of people who are displaced from their native lands because of war, poverty and oppression. Often they are unwelcome in the lands they end up in. Rather than ‘extending the table’ or ‘making room for guests,’ people propose to ‘build a wall!’ or otherwise spread hateful, ignorant lies about their character an intentions. But the globalist economic order and rising populist movements victimize and shun them.  The populists in Europe and North America are unfortunately ‘nativist’ in outlook, which is odd given that the migrants and refugees are the victims of the globalist order the populists object to; so these people should be allies.

Third Sorrow: The Loss of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem

The Holy Family went off to Jerusalem for religious celebrations and on the way back home they lost their son, who happens to be the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God the Father, and King of the Universe. I know this was a massive trauma for the Holy Family. You’re the Virgin Mother of God, you love your son more than anything in the universe; private revelations such as The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda tell us that Mary knew who Jesus was from the moment of the Annunciation; that He had full use of His faculties and powers of reason from His conception; and they were intimately united in thought and feeling from that moment onward. Furthermore, she knew the type of death He was to experience. Her love for Him was so intense that she was literally a lifelong martyr for Him. And she lost this kid. Imagine her thoughts throughout all of this.

Now think of St. Joseph. He also knew who Jesus was. And you’re the guy God the Father picked to be the guardian and protector of the Lady bore His Son, as well as that Son. And you lost this kid.

There have been no parents alive before or since who were as freaked out as Mary and Joseph. You are a parent? You had issues with your children? Dysfunctional? The Holy Family can be your guide. While obviously not dysfunctional in the slightest, nevertheless they knew of the trials of family life., even if it were for just three trauma-filled days. 

Luke 2:41-49  And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the time of the solemnity of Passover.
And when he had become twelve years old, they ascended to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast day.
 And having completed the days, when they returned, the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem. And his parents did not realize this.
But, supposing that he was in the company, they went a day’s journey, seeking him among their relatives and acquaintances.
 And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.
 And it happened that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and questioning them.
 But all who listened to him were astonished over his prudence and his responses.
 And upon seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: “Son, why have you acted this way toward us? Behold, your father and I were seeking you in sorrow.”
And he said to them: “How is it that you were seeking me? For did you not know that it is necessary for me to be in these things which are of my Father?”

Fourth Sorrow: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother on His Way to the Cross

Recall what I had just written about the intimate union Mary and Jesus had. You suffer as He suffers, is happy as He is happy…. And now you see Him, the love of your life carrying a crucifix upon which He will be nailed to for the sins of the World. He is innocent, but is being offered as a propitiatory sacrifice to atone for the sins of others because the magnitude of the crime is so great the guilty cannot possibly pay it. 

You seen Him broken and bloodied, humiliated, with the crowds mindlessly shouting cruel epithets at Him. All these tear at your Immaculate Heart. You want to comfort Him but cannot. Your eyes meet His… you gaze at each other and wordlessly an understanding passes between you and Him. Love. Sympathy. The overwhelming love of a Mother so kind and tender…. And she cannot help Him. Then pagan soldiers whip him onward and insult you…

Fifth Sorrow: Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross

John 19:25 And standing beside the cross of Jesus were his mother…

… and some time later after you’ve made your way to the place of His execution, a hill called Golgotha (where thousands of years before Abraham was prevented from sacrificing his son Isaac, as a test of his faith) you see Him again, dying. His condition is horrible in the extreme. You kneel before Him and gaze up, tears flood your eyes and cascade down your face. This is empathy at its most intense: the love and sorrow of a mother towards her son as life ebbs from Him.

John 19:26-27 Therefore, when Jesus had seen his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Next, he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” And from that hour, the disciple accepted her as his own.

This woman is now your Mother. After you were baptized you became His brother or sister; adopted children of God the Father. And therefore at your baptism, when you became a member of the Mystical Body of her Son, Jesus Christ, you became a child of Mary as well. You follow? Jesus is Mary’s Son; after baptism you become a member of His Mystical Body, therefore Mary is your mother, too. Mary is your Mother in a way even more so than your earthly mother is, for the latter only gave birth to your life in this transitory, temporal world. Mary ‘gave birth to you’ in the supernatural life through your baptism.

If you attain Heaven, it’s because of Mary. For since Mary is your Mother, her maternal instincts cover you as well. And she is the best of mothers and wants you in Heaven with her. The saints teach that all graces come to us from God through Mary (with the Church teaching this as well, but stopping short of declaring it a revealed dogma. So far.) So if you know any better, cultivate a relationship with Mary. Ask her in your prayers that her intentions regarding your life and intentions come true. Entrust yourself to her. All good mothers dote on their children. You think Mary would be any less of a doting Mom? Most Earthly mothers boast if their sons and daughters become doctors or lawyers or some such thing. Mary wants you in Heaven, with her, for ever. 

How loving is that?

Sixth Sorrow: The Crucifixion and Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus from the Cross

John 19:38 Then, after these things, Joseph from Arimathea, (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews) petitioned Pilate so that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave permission. Therefore, he went and took away the body of Jesus.

Jesus is dead. His body is taken down from the cross and placed in Mary’s arms. She looks upon Him who they have killed, his tortured body practically unrecognizable. But she is His Mother, she know this body. The same one she gave birth to 33 years before, the same one she nursed at her breasts, the same one she clothed and fed and loved all these years. 

And now He is gone. Taken so cruelly. And all because of the sins of others, from the beginning to the end of time. Death is the most painful of separations because of its finality. Mary knew her Son would rise again on the third day; He had said so. Nevertheless, the pain of His death and loss was more real to her than for any other. Even knowing He’d return. This gives us some perspective on grief and how sensitive we must be towards ourselves and towards others when death takes someone away. 

Seventh Sorrow: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Luke 23:53 …and he placed him in a tomb hewn from rock, in which no one had ever been placed.

And with that, he was taken from sight and buried; now physically separated from Him. It bears repeating that although Mary knew her Son would rise again, the pain of His death and now separation by burial was a grief most intense. This told to us by the writings of countless saints and mystics; which means the original source of this information must have been passed down in part by an oral tradition they picked up as well as through private revelation. Some may feel this is silly, because if she knew He’d be back in a few days, why the grief? To love deeply means to grieve deeply. The greater the love, the greater the sorrow of loss; regardless of how temporary the loss is. That explains it. And that is why Mary is the best of all possible mothers. For she loves you, too, with a love greater than you could know. 

Mary’s love for you and her maternal interest in your salvation, could make up for a multitude of ‘issues’ you have with your own mother, or even the loss of your mother because she died. Mary’s love is eternal; and she desires your happiness with her in Heaven.

This post is long enough! Tomorrow, if I can, I’ll mention the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. It’s a wonderful devotion, a part of the whole devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows (The Sorrowful Mother devotion, Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady…it has several names, it’s all the same.)

All Scripture quotes courtesy: The Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

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NOVENA ALERT!!!!!! Today begins the Sacred Heart Novena, and also …

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… the Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Technically, the Sacred Heart Novena began yesterday so that it ends on the day before the feast, but it’s all right if it ends on the day of. I forgot to begin it yesterday, but I think I’ve always said the two Novenas simultaneously, because of the Union of the Two Hearts. 

Sacred Heart Novena.( ETWN)

Sacred Heart Novena (Pray More Novenas.)

Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena(EWTN)

Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena (Pray More Novenas.)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Novenas to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

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I wrote about Our Lady of Perpetual Help recently and how I’ve been experiencing ‘signal graces’ in the form of coincidental happenings. (I forgot to mention one: while in Adoration I had found a Rosary in the ‘free box’ with the OLPH image!) Anyway, in that post I also said that I’ll share with your some novenas to OLPH. The Novena begins this Saturday the 18th of June with the feast day on June 27th.  

Here’s one from EWTN: Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help | EWTN 

Here’s another from Pray More Novenas.

Here’s another nice one.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help

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I have recently been the recipient of multiple odd ocurrences of the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH). The seeming randomness has gone beyond being mere coincidence; I think it has reached the point of being a ‘signal grace.’

I could be watching a Catholic YouTube channel and the host has images of the walls of his home and studio. I am looking up stuff on Catholic sites or blogs and there are references to her or the image. I go to Saturday Vigil Mass with my wife wants to sit in a particular pew, but there’s an AC unit blasting arctic air and so we move to a pew in the rear of the church right next to a huge image of OLPH. At home I find a random image of OLPH sticking out of a pile of books. I go to Facebook and search for OLPH, I get as far as typing ‘our’ and the search result start appearing…. OLPH is the first. (Granted Facebook tracks you away from itself, but I think I have enough addons to block that.) An image I forgot I had peeks out from a stack of books. I go to a med appointment and arrive early, leave early, and so have time to go to Mass. It’s the new Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. While not tied to the devotion to OLPH, in my mind I make theological and spiritual connections between my being called to go to Mass on that day and the feasts. (Mary is the Mother of the Church, and as we Catholics are members of the Mystical Body pf Christ, which is the church, she is the Mother of us. And under her title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, she is our Mother who will help us forever, regardless of space and time or any other situation, since the Church and Her teachings are applicable to anyone, anywhere, in any time.)

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is among the most descriptive titles of the Blessed Virgin in her role as our Heavenly Mother, and her maternal care over us. 

 Here’s the image:

CultofPerpetualHelpVetusImagoMiraculisClaraVenerata

From Wikipedia:

  • The original wooden icon measures 17″ × 21″ inches, and is written on hard nut wood with a gold leaf background. The image depicts the following symbols:
  • The Blessed Virgin Mary — wearing a dress of dark red, in Byzantine iconography the color of the empress, the Queen.
  • The subject shows Mary looking towards the faithful while pointing at her son, Jesus Christ who is frightened by the instruments of crucifixion and is depicted with a fallen sandal.
  • The left side is Saint Michael Archangel — carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus.
  • On the right side is Saint Gabriel Archangel carrying a 3-bar cross and nails.
  • The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as referring to the Greek monastery which produced the icon.

More on the symbolism here. 

It is one of the most venerated images of Our Lady; largely due to its beauty and intricate design and deep symbolism, but also through the numerous miraculous cures and conversions rendered through it. Its history is sketchy and some parts contradict each other, but such is often the case when records are oral, lost or there are gaps within the various accounts. It is reputed to be a copy of a painting of Our Lady done by St. Luke, the author of the third Gospel and the Acts. That painting was destroyed by the Moslem invaders of Constantinople in the 15th Century. It had been copied numerous times and these made their way throughout Eastern Christendom. This particular copy, with some emendations by later artists, possibly dates from the 13th or 14th Centuries. It wound up in Rome in the 16th Century after being stolen or spirited out of Crete by a Cretan merchant. This is one of the contradictions. One story claims the merchant was a pious man who merely sought to protect the image from Moslems who were invading Crete; another story holds that he was hired by rich Italians who wanted spectacular eastern images to decorate the churches they sponsor, and thus reap the rewards of pilgrimages and such. At any rate, his piety, if not present when he brought the image out of Crete, was in evidence on his deathbed when he made a promise to Our Lady to find a suitable home for it. She appeared to him and mentioned a church in Rome in between St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. This church was named after St. Matthew. It supposedly did not make it there right away. The merchant died and the image fell into the possession of his best friend, present at his death, who temporarily kept it. The story, which is rather complicated, goes that this man’s wife and father coveted the image because of her pride and his greed. Only after repeated apparitions of Our Lady to convince them to release it to the Church where she had wanted it, the image was finally transferred to St. Matthew’s, but not before initially failing to achieve that goal until after the predicted death of the merchant’s friend and the sheer terror of the wife and father upon realizing they were opposing the will of Heaven. Like I said, the story is complicated and you should really look it up. It would make a great movie by Mel Gibson or better yet, Leonardo Defilippis.

The image remained in St. Matthew’s for a few centuries until that church was destroyed by invading French in the 19th Century. It was spirited out to another church in Rome, where its initial identity became largely forgotten. Eventually, the Institute of the Most Holy Redeemer, an Order founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori, needed to build a headquarters in Rome, and they coincidentally built it on the site of the old St. Matthew’s Church (remember? the original desired home by Our Lady for the image!) Well, they wanted a suitable image for their HQ. And one day, one of the Redemptorists was looking through some old books and discovered the history of the area and found out about St. Matthew’s and that it was the home of the renowned image of OLPH. Some of its history was told, and the Redemptorists wondered about its current whereabouts. Then, through a series of coincidences, chance circumstances, and the fortuitous memory of an altar boy-turned-priest who was at the right place at the right time and heard the right thing said by the right person, the picture was retrieved from where it had been moved after St. Matthew’s was destroyed and the Redemptorists moved it to their Church, where it has been since the late 19th Century.

I think I got the details correct, I recalled this from memory after reading a little book on the history of the image and my short-term memory at times sucks. Come to think of it, Leonardo Defilippis could make a trilogy of the image’s history. 

Anyway, I’m writing all this just to let you know of this image. It is a devotion to Our Lady that I think should be popular amongst sober Catholics. Why I haven’t developed such a devotion before now is a mystery, but better late than never! Who else needs the assistance of such a Lady, but those of us who have struggled with alcohol and drugs; and oftentimes for years? Including spending years trying to get clean and sober? Any especially since many of us (like me) have been abandoned by their families? 

Look up Our Lady of Perpetual Help (sometimes called Mother of Perpetual Help.) Her feast day is June 27th. The Novena begins June 18th. I will post one or more just before. Also, try and get yourself an image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help; it would make a nice addition to your prayer area or just your home. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

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On the Consecration of Russia AND Ukraine by Pope Francis on March 25, 2022

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This upcoming Friday, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. This is the latest in a string of Papal consecrations of Russia done by the Popes since the Virgin made this request in 1917. 

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding these consecrations; namely whether or not they were done properly. Many say that when Our Lady requested that Russia be consecrated, it was implied that only Russia should be mentioned. Well, let’s see what she actually said at Fatima:

You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. It is to save them that God wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.

This war will end, but if men do not refrain from offending God, another and more terrible war will begin during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night that is lit by a strange and unknown light [this occurred on January 28, 1938], you will know it is the sign God gives you that He is about to punish the world with war and with hunger, and by the persecution of the Church and the Holy Father.

To prevent this, I shall come to the world to ask that Russia be consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, and I shall ask that on the First Saturday of every month Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world. If my wishes are fulfilled, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, then Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, bringing new wars and persecution of the Church; the good will be martyred and the Holy Father will have much to suffer; certain nations will be annihilated. But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and the world will enjoy a period of peace. In Portugal, the faith will always be preserved…

Source: EWTN

Where in that does it say that Russia alone must be mentioned? It doesn’t. Previous consecrations do not mention Russia, but they mention the World; well, is not Russia a part of the world? If the World was consecrated, and Russia is located on the World, then Russia was consecrated. If you are married with children and tell them that you love them, is your spouse excluded from that declaration just because you didn’t mention them? Yes, of course, your spouse probably would like it if you specifically mention them from time to time, but still, I doubt they’ll feel excluded. 

THERE IS NOTHING IMPLIED in her words that invalidates consecrations if they include things other than Russia, or even that Russia has to be mentioned if it is a part of the thing being consecrated. Admittedly, it ‘would be nice’ if Russia was specifically mentioned, but insisting on that is hair-splitting legalism which I think impugns God’s Mercy and Providence. 

But mercy exalts itself above judgment. James 2:13. 

Source: Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version

If a Papal consecration used words that effectively consecrated Russia, then it’s good, even if Ukraine was mentioned, the World was mentioned, Humanity was mentioned, or whatever else.

And if you want to bring up, “Well, where is the period of peace promised by her, if past consecrations were valid?” Where is it implied that this would begin immediately afterward? Also, the peace promised was the prevention of what was to be World War II, if you read her words above carefully. “To prevent this…” Russia is to be consecrated. To prevent what? The war she referred to in the previous paragraph, which was World War II. 

SINCE the consecrations were all too late (I think the first was in 1942) the effects were limited. The 1942 one probably ended WW2 earlier than it otherwise would have ended; the 1984 one terminated the USSR (key events leading to the breakup of the USSR occurred on or near Marian feast days.) For the consecration to have had total effectiveness, it should have been done before Hitler’s rise to power, or at least before he re-armed Germany.

I have this alternate history theory that if Pope Pius XI did the consecration before 1933 (when Hitler took power,) or before 1936 (when he announce Germany’s re-armament) then ‘something’ would have happened which would have prevented World War II. Whether that would have been Hitler’s assassination or something else that would have kept Germany from invading her neighboring countries and starting that War is debatable. In this theory, with no European war, the USSR’s military would not have achieved the level of readiness that it did. This means that quite possibly it would have been a target of Imperialist Japan, which had invaded and occupied China in the 1930s. Once Japan consolidated its grip on China, it might have turned north to Siberia. Japan’s military could have easily defeated the Soviet military; this would have embarrassed the Soviet government, and quite possibly stirred a rebellion. I think in the confusion over the loss of eastern Siberia, and unrest at home, certain individuals in the Soviet military would have assassinated Stalin, the Soviet dictator. There is no reason to believe that they would have retained the Communist Party, given that it would have served as an organized opposition to military rule. The Communist Party would have been liquidated. And there you have it, no more would Russia be spreading her errors throughout the world.

The full text of Pope Francis’ Consecration prayer is found on the CNA website. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Immaculate Conception Novena begins today

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Today begins the Immaculate Conception Novena (November 29 through December 7th. It’s all right if you get this too late and begin it on November 30th, it’ll end on December 8th, the actual Feast Day.)

The Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary was exempt from Original Sin by virtue of the anticipated merits of the death and resurrection of her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is entirely fitting with the prerogatives of God the Father, for Whom all things are possible. And it is perfectly in keeping with what Scripture says regarding the Fall of Adam and Eve and the subsequent tainting of our human nature with Original Sin. Everyone is born with Original Sin which is cleansed from us by Baptism, and all those who are not baptized are essentially subject to the Devil’s rule. If Mary was subject to Satan from contracting Original Sin, then so would Jesus when He was conceived. This is untenable and thus Mary was preserved from that Sin. Given that Jesus only had genetic material from Mary, this gets around the obvious counterpoint that well, why wasn’t just Jesus preserved? That is possible, but only if He had also received genetic material from Joseph, as well. But Joseph was not His biological father. The Holy Spirit ‘fathered’ Jesus. How could the Holy Spirit espouse Himself to a person enslaved by Original Sin? That is as untenable as the idea of Jesus being under Satan’s rule! Therefore, unless Jesus was the biological son of both Joseph and Mary, His Mother had to be preserved from Original Sin. To think otherwise is blasphemy and anathema! 

An additional point is also made that wouldn’t God, Who knew from all Eternity His plan of Salvation, and decided that His Son would be born of a woman rather than Incarnate as a mighty king and lord fully grown, wouldn’t He have taken great pains to decide upon the formation of she who would bear His Son? If YOU had the opportunity to design your own mother, wouldn’t YOU insist that she the among the most beautiful, intelligent, and talented of all? One of the Ten Commandments holds that we should “Honor our Father and Mother,” well, wouldn’t God also follow that? Even one was to declare that He is not subject to His own Commandments and laws, why wouldn’t He follow that one at least, to provide an example?

EWTN has a nice Novena. You can find it here: EWTN Immaculate Conception Novena.

As sober Catholics, we should have a particular devotion to Our Immaculate Mother. What better person to unite our prayers and suffering to than a wholly pure and stainless one? Especially considering the depth of our own sins? Our loving Mother care for us and like any good Mama, dusts us off, washes us clean with her prayers and intercessions and present us to her Son. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima

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Note: this was originally posted in different form long ago here at Sober Catholic:

On October 13, 1917 the final Marian Apparition at Fatima, Portugal took place.

I know the anniversary was a few weeks ago, but I decided to post this today, the Feast of All Hallow’s Eve (a/k/a “Halloween”). I’ll explain at the end.

Seventy thousand people attended the event, which was supposed to have a miracle promised by the Virgin Mary so that all may believe.

Amongst those present were representatives of the Portuguese media, all socialist and all anti-clerical (theophobes who despised the Catholic Church, professed atheism, and who cooperated in what they hoped would be the eventual destruction of the Church in Portugal. The country had undergone a revolution in 1910 which deposed the Catholic monarch and imposed restrictions on the Church.)

Our Lady appeared as promised, but not alone. St. Joseph also appeared, holding the Christ Child.

Oh, yes: the sun also danced in the sky. Witnessed by all those in attendance, and by more hundreds of miles away, the sun whirled about in the sky, terrifying the witnesses.

It also appeared to hurtle towards the Earth, convincing people that the World was ending (and this part of the Apparition is why I decided to take advantage of my posting tardiness and write this today.)

One note on the sun dancing: for anyone who may be skeptical, one evidence that “something” happened lays in the fact that it had been raining heavily all day long, so much so that the ground throughout the area was drenched. Saturated with water, and combined with the foot traffic of 70,000 attendees, it was a horrific muddy mess.

Until the sun dried it. Nearly instantly. According to all those present, after the Apparition was over and the sun returned to its normal state, the ground was hardened as though it had not seen rain for weeks.

And another note for skeptics: this was all duly reported by the anti-clerical media. The reporters had gone there hoping (or rather assuming) that the whole event would be a non-happening; that the seers would be shamed,the Church embarrassed and once and for all the foolish belivers would have their religious superstitions exposed for what they are – nonsense.

But no, they couldn’t deny the event, their skepticism and non-belief didn’t prevent them from witnessing the Miracle of the Sun, nor acknowledging the effects on the physical environment.

So much for that. How the whole thing happened is a mystery; how only those in the vicinity witnessed this but for people all over the rest of the world the Sun operated normally is known only to God, who is not subject to the laws of Nature. (That’s why certain events are called ‘miracles.’ Perhaps someday, when our science progresses to a more sophisticated level, someone can postulate a theory. But until science catches up with Faith…)

Now, as to why I posted this today:

As the sun plunged to the Earth the believers were understandably freaked out. They thought the world was ending.

The liturgical calendar for the Catholic Church has tomorrow as the Solemnity of All Saints, and after that the Memorial of All Souls. All Saints is for all those in Heaven, officially canonized by the Church or not; and All Souls is for the Faithful Departed who are undergoing purification in Purgatory. These two Feast Days kick off the Month of November, dedicated by the Catholic Church to the dead. (This is why there will be an uptick in the number of posts here regarding death, Purgatory, and all that over November. (Apart from my finally finishing the migration of posts from my old death blog, “The Four Last Things.” Many of these posts are reblogs from there. See the ‘Additional NOTE’ at the end. There is no link to that blog as the posts are being unpublished as they get transferred to here or In Exile.)

These two days are there (amongst other reasons) to remind us of our ultimate end. Someday we will all die. There is no escaping that.

Maybe this is something for you to consider, before God decides to hurl the Sun at you!

Note: I have written before on the Marian Apparitions at Fatima, Portugal. Please see—> Fatima Posts Archive.

Additional NOTE: This is a “retropost,” a post from an old blog I wrote on “The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven (& Purgatory) and Hell” that I shuttered a few years ago. Individual posts are being transferred to either In Exile or Sober Catholic, whichever seems appropriate. Some are backdated, others postdated, some edited, in case you’re confused as to why you never saw a particular post if you’re a diligent reader. The process should be completed by early 2022.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary

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September 8th is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; exactly nine months after we celebrated the glorious Feast of her Immaculate Conception on December 8th.

I hope that you readers, as sober Catholics, are doing something special in honor of our Heavenly Mother’s birthday.

You could consider consecrating yourself to her in the manner of St. Louis de Montfort or St. Maximilian Kolbe.

You could attend Mass. If it’s too late because this wasn’t posted in time for a reminder, you could watch one online and make a Spiritual Communion.

Start devotional practices to her in addition to whatever you are doing now.

Develop a filial devotion to her. She is more your mother than she whom gave birth to you; in your Baptism, Mother Mary gave you a new birth into  the sacramental life of grace. Without your baptism, you would not be in the Mystical Body of Christ and therefore would never attain the Beatific Vision of God in Heaven.

She loves you more than any other person on Earth can love you; she desires your salvation more than you do. No matter how grievous your sins she will intercede for you with her Son. All you have to do is ask.

Anyway, this day should be more than just a passing feast day on the calendar. God, from all eternity, decided that He would incarnate among us and he also decided to do it in a very unique way: to be born of a woman and not descend unto Earth in some glorious, majestic and awe-inspiring manner. God’s will is paramount, how He chooses to do something is not a trifling matter. To dismiss the Virgin Mary as insignificant is a grave error. And the birthday of she who bore the Redeemer should be given a great consideration in your sacramental and devotional life.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Emergency Fatima Novena!!!

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There seems to be numerous novenas at this time of year. That is possibly just my imagination, but nevertheless today begins another novena. This one is to Our Lady of Fatima for the commemoration of the Miracle of the Sun Apparition on October 13, 1917. I know that the typical Fatima novena  celebrates the first apparition on May 13th, but in light of “everything that is going on,” from pandemics to presidential elections and threats of war and economic depression, as well as the ever-looming threat of religious persecution in areas not used to such things, I thought that it would be a great idea to have what I am calling an “Emergency Fatima Novena.”

You can say whatever prayers you’d like; you can do an online search for “Fatima Novena” and pick one that’s preferable or just grab a Rosary and say an extra one every day for the intentions of Our Lady of Fatima. But my “Emergency Novena” will consist of these intentions, which may sound strange or unconventional, but in light of how 2020 has been, I think quite reasonable. So here goes, my intentions and the explanations or reasons for them:

  • Peace
  • Reparation
  • Conversion of Russia
  • Magnificat Option
  • End to the Pandemic

OK. The first one, PEACE. At Fatima Our Lady promised there would be peace if we heeded her warnings. There wasn’t, and WWII happened with the Cold War following right after. Now I am not requesting ‘peace’ as in the absence of war, but that a just peace be established wherein every nation sees no need for aggressive action against another; no nation sees the need to establish global domination and all of the arrogance and conceit that have plagued nation-states for centuries. One reason why I am starting this Novena today, so that it ends on October 13th, is that today (October 5th) is also the feast day of St. Faustina Kowalska, the “Apostle of Divine Mercy.” Pope Francis elevated her feast day to the General Roman Calendar earlier this year. I think it’s placement is significant. St. Faustina reported Our Lord’s words that “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.” (Diary, paragraph 300)  I may read too much into coincidences, but with St. Faustina dying on the day she did, with her eventual canonization elevating that day to a spot on the Church calendar, it’s significant in connecting the Divine Mercy Message to the Fatima Message. Taking coincidences one step further, we have St. Maximilian Marian Kolbe being referred to as the “Prophet of the Civilization of Love” in the approved private litany to him. He established his Militia of the Immaculata for the express purpose of ushering in an eventual “era of peace” when everyone would be consecrated to Our Lady and the world is united under the banners of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Such a world is one founded upon peace, the kind of peace that can only be found in the universal acceptance of the Gospel. And while I’m referring to coincidences, the fact that St. Maximilian founded the M.I. only three days after the Miracle of the Sun apparition is something that cannot be ignored. (I know of no source which tells us that St. Maximilian was aware of the Fatima Apparition. Not too surprising, given the state of communications of that era, that Europe was convulsed in WWI, and how slow the news of the Apparition spread. It really did not become too well known until after WWII. But that doesn’t matter. God works through us, and we may not be aware of how our apostolic work may be done in coordination with another’s.) Taking this back to the Fatima Message where Our Lady promised a period of peace, and we can see the connections between the Divine Mercy and Fatima Messages, as well as St. Maximilian’s work. Please bear in mind that this “era of peace” has nothing to do with certain periods of peace referred to by many heretical prophecies (I think they’re called “millenarian,” and are popular in Christian Evangelical circles as well as some Catholics who are not grounded in Church Tradition. This isn’t a literal 1,000 years of peace where Jesus rules until the Antichrist, or whatever. It is just ‘a period of peace’ of an undetermined length.)

So, to tie all that in, my “Peace” intentions are just for, by however Our Lord and Our Lady intends, the relaxation or elimination of all threats to the global order; that the nation-states of the world realize that their ultimate security will lie in not threatening the security of other nations. Naive? Yes, but I’ve always held that if the world was as naive as I can be at times, it would be much better off. 😉  If there is a Divine intervention of some kind (popularly referred to in Catholic prophetic circles as a “Warning,” “Illumination,” or “Chastisement,” who can say? I’ll leave the details up to Jesus and Mary.)

Next up: Reparation. This is obvious. We pray and make reparation for the sins against the Blessed Virgin Mary, for sins of impurity and blasphemies against Our Lord. There is plenty of all that going on every day and almost everywhere. From the vandalization of statues and churches, to sexualizing children, to normalizing sexual perversity and deviancy, to blaspheming Jesus in the propagating of false doctrine by “Catholic” priests and bishops; there’s more than enough sinning going on that dwarfs that which happened in the time of Noah or just before Our Lord’s Incarnation. How the Divine hand has been restrained only bespeaks of the power of prayer and reparation, but it is only a matter of time before the Father takes action.

OK, now the Conversion of Russia. Yes, I know that since the overthrow of Communism when the USSR collapsed in 1991 there has been a flowering and revival of Orthodox Christianity in that land. And yes, I know that Russia was consecrated to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart in 1984. But Orthodox Christianity is still schismatic (they do not recognize the authority of the Pope over their Churches.) I pray that “by however Our Lord and Our Lady intends,” that Eastern Orthodoxy, including especially the Russian Orthodox Church, comes into communion with Rome.

Next, the Magnificat Option. There are Options galore in today’s Catholicism. There’s the Benedict Option, the Dorothy Option, the Hobbit Option, and who  knows what else. I came up with the “Magnificat Option” in a post on my Facebook.

In the Magnificat, we hear Mary pray,

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation. 
He has shown the strength of his arm, 
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, 
and has lifted up the lowly. 
He has filled the hungry with good things, 
and the rich he has sent away empty.

That, my readers, is the core of the Magnificat Option. That God , by however He intends,” shows His mighty strength and humbles the proud that currently govern our world, be they Presidents, Presidential candidates, Prime Ministers, globalists, banksters, and neocons, endless-war profiteers, and the elites who pervert our culture.

Last up, for the end to the pandemic. No need to explain.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)